Thread cleaner



P. DAUGERT Sept. 24, 1935.

THREAD CLEANER Filed Feb. 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet l mum {41 Inventor Sept. 24, 1935. p DAUGERT 2,015,060

THREAD CLEANER Filed Feb. 18, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F lnvenior :5 ,ygzfyerz I 66 I llorney P. DAUGERT Sept; 24, 1935.

THREAD CLEANER Filed Feb. 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 In venior r zz yarz 4 Home y Patented Sept. 24, 1935 NITED STATE TNT GFHQE THREAD CLEANER 7 Peter Daugert, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Application February 18, 1923, Serial No. 657,450

8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning threads, yarns, and the like and has particular reference to a cleaner for removing knots, slugs, and lumps from the thread while it is being wound on bobbins preparatory to the weaving operations.

The present invention also concerns improvements in thread cleaning devices and in their brackets and cleaner plates, of the type forming the subject matter of Patents No. 1,625,352 and No. 1,687,546, dated April 19, 1927 and October 16, 1928, respectively, and issued to Peter Daugert, Henry Frey and John J. Dunleavy, the said Peter Daugert being the applicant-herein.

In the textile art, it is well known that, in order to avoid imperfections in woven fabrics, it becomes necessary to remove from the threads the sources of these imperfections which either originate in the raw material, or are due to the various methods of making the threads. Said imperfections are caused by knots, slugs, lumps and other accumulations upon the threads.

Heretofore, thread cleaners have been employed consisting of plates of integral construction having slots therein. Other cleaners consist of separate plates relatively positioned to form slots therebetween of difierent widths through which the threads are passed. If an imperfection in a thread is too large or for some other reason cannot be removed by the mere passage through the slot in the cleaner, the thread may be broken at the point of said imperfection, thereby enabling the attending operator to remove the imperfection and then join the two ends of the thread by a very small knot which will not present an objectionable defect.

Certain objections have arisen in the use of known cleaners. For instance, with the integral plate devices in which the width of the slots remain constant, it becomes necessary to have a number of plates provided with slots of different widths and toy replace a plate each time a different size thread is to be cleaned. On the other hand, with cleaners having adjustable plates, it has been found extremely diificult to obtain very minute adjustments to vary the width of the slot and to maintain such adjustments while the winding machine is in operation and the thread is being cleaned.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved bracket for supporting cleaner plates, which is of simple, practical and inexpensive construction and which is so made that it can be applied to various types of apparatus and machines employed in winding threads and positioned relative thereto in such a manner as to efiect the highest degree of eiiiciency in the thread cleaning operation.

Another object is to facilitate the mounting of cleaning plates in the bracket so that the same will be properly positioned therein with respect to each other and to the thread being cleaned, and maintained in such position during the cleaning operation.

It is also an important object of the present invention to provide cleaning plates the cooperating thread cleaning edges of which may be properly spaced from each other after grinding by separable spacing means selected according to the amount of the edges removed in the grinding 1 operation.

It is also an important object of the present invention to provide cleaner plates which are reversible and interchangeable with respect to each other without disturbing the spacing provided by the spacing means. 7

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing one embodiment of the invention mounted on a n supporting member. 0

Figure 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of Figure l.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical traverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. V

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of Figure 1 showing the thread guides and the cleaning plates removed.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a bottom plan View of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a. horizontal transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 8-8 of Figure 2. 45

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one form of a shim for spacing the cleaning plates.

Figure 10 is a perspective View of another form of spacing shim.

Figure 11 is a vertical longitudinal sectional 5O view through the cleaning plates arranged with the rounded cutting edges upwardly for cleaning silk thread.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11 showing the cleaning plates with the rounded edges thereof downwardly arranged for cleaning rayon threads.

Figure 13 is a front elevational view of another application of the invention.

Figure 14 is a front elevational view of the cleaning plates structure.

Figure 15 is a top plan view of Figure 14.

Figure 16 is a side elevational view of figure 15.

Figure 17 is a sectional, side elevational view of another form of the invention showing the same applied to a skein winding mechanism.

Figure 18 is a front elevational view of the cleaning plates structure showing the cleaning plates and the thread guide removed.

Figure 19 is a top plan view of Figure 18.

Figure 20 is a side elevational view of Figure 18.

Figure 21 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken approximately on the line 2I2I of Figure 19.

Figure 22 is an end elevational view of the adjustable thread guide mounting.

Figure 23 is a side elevational view of Figure 22.

Figure 24 is an elevational view of the opposite end of the thread guide mounting shown in Figure 22.

Figure 25 is a sectional view of the modified form of the blade mounting block.

The brackets of the present invention have been designed particularly with the end in View of making the same applicable to various types of machines, such as winders, re-drawers, quillers, coppers, coners, reels and the like, and although the brackets of the present invention are particularly adapted for use in connection with cleaning plates such as those disclosed in the above mentioned patents, it will be understood that said brackets may also be employed with other cleaning plates known in the art.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the same, in Figure 1 the numeral 5 refers generally to a traverse bar of one of the indicated machines to which the bracket 6 is secured by a screw I, the bracket 6 being one application of the present invention.

The bracket 6 comprises a vertically elongated plate tapered toward each end and having formed centrally thereof a horizontally projecting block 8 which is formed with a horizontal slot 9 which is approximately bisected by vertical slots I8, II which are aligned with each other. The upper surface of the block is reduced toward the slot I!) as indicated at I2 while the lower surface of the block 8 is similarly reduced toward the slot I I as indicated at I 3. The reduced portion I2 has additionally a countersunk circular portion I4.

Either end of the bracket is provided with a transverse opening I5, I6 to receive the mountings for the upper thread guide I! and the lower thread guide I8.

The thread guides may be of any desired type, the form illustrated being similar to the thread guides shown in the mentioned Patent No. 1,687,546. However, instead of being mounted in the openings I5, I6 in the bracket 6, as shown in the said patent, I provide thread guide mounting means generally designated I9, which enable adjusting the thread guides eccentrically in the openings I5, I6 so as to secure a proper relative spacing and alignment of the thread guides with respect to each other and with respect to the cleaning plates which will be described as mounted in the block 8.

The mounting means I9 comprises a cylindrical portion 20, eccentrically related to the axis of the threaded opening 2| through the mounting, and of a size and formation to be rotatably received in the openings I5, I6 as shown in Figure 3. A concentric flange 2I is disposed on the inward end of the portion 20 and from this rearwardly projects a concentric cylindrical portion 22 having fiat wrench receiving faces.

The locking nut 23 on the guide screw 24 is abutted as shown in Figure 3 with the front face of the bracket, the mounting I9 having been rotated on the screw 24 until the desired position of the guide has been achieved. The nut 23 is then drawn tight so as to hold the adjustment. This mounting of the guides is common to all forms of the invention contained herein and the foregoing description is intended to apply throughout the following specification to all thread guides not specifically differentiated therefrom.

I shall now describe the cleaning plates and their relationship to the various brackets described herein. The cleaning plates to be described are applicable to all of the brackets contained herein and are associated with and mounted in blocks 8 which have the same form in all forms of the brackets contained herein, so that description of the cleaning plates 25, 26 used in the above described embodiment of the invention and of the block 3 forming the mounting for the cleaning plates, will sufiice for and cover description of the corresponding parts of all forms of the invention contained herein. The differences'in the forms of the invention described below reside mainly in the formations of the brackets which adapt them for mounting upon and operative relation with different types of the machines heretofore mentioned herein.

The cleaning plates 25, 25 comprise a pair of flat plates having their outward ends cut off at an angle as indicated at 21, 28 and having their rear ends squared as indicated at 29, 35. Ehe plates 2-5, 26 are entered in the horizontal slot 9 until their squared rear ends abut the rear end of the slot 9, and so that a space obtains between the edges 3|, 32. A shim member either in the. form shown in Figure 9 and designated generally 33 or in the form shown in Figure 10 and generally designated 34 is passed into the circular depression I4 in the upper side of the block 8 and then through the upper vertical slot I 0 downwardly between the edges of the plates 25, 26 and into the lower slot I I. Then the locking screw 35 threaded in an opening 36 in one side of the block 3 is turned in so as to engage the outer edge of one of the plates and push the plates together and against the shim 33, or 34, so that the plates 25, 26 are locked in the block 8 in the properly spaced relationship, predetermined by the thickness 01 the shim 33, 34.

Reference to Figures 11 and I2 will disclose that the edges 3!, 32 of the plates have one corner rounded as indicated at 36 and these rounded portions may be disposed upwardly or downwardly according to the kind of thread being operated upon. Intermediate the length of the edges 3!, 32 they are semi-circularly notched as indicated at 31, 38 in a position which is just forward of the front face of the block 8 as particularly well shown in Figure 8.

Cleaning plates of the type shown in Patent No. 1,687,546 must be replaced when they become worn because they cannot be adjusted toward or away from each other and the replacement there of is very expensive. Cleaning plates of the type shown in Patent No. 1,625,352 require that the intermediate portions thereof be ground when ever the operating edges are ground in order to compensate for the increased spacing which the grinding or" the operating edges produces between the operating edges. It is an extremely expensive and tedious as well as difficult operation to pro duce a grinding of the intermediate edge separating portions of the type of plates shown in Patent No. 1,625,352, since an exact reduction of the intermediate portions must be made to correspond to the reduction by grinding of the operating edges. Proper handling of the operation mentioned is expensive and inefficient if not conducted with the utmost care. When it is realized that many sets of plates in a machine must be accurately ground in the manner pointed out, the

expense and inconvenience involved will be recognized.

The provision of the plates of the present invention eliminates the troubles and expenses involved in the mentioned and other types of cleaning plates by providing a straight edge throughout which can be ground in a single operation, a predetermined amount of the edge being reduced or taken off by grinding, then a shim 33, 34 corresponding exactly in thickness to the sum of the amounts ground off the operating edges of the plates, inserted between the plates in the manner shown in Figure 8, so that the operating edges of the plates will have exactly the predetermined spacing after the grinding. By this arrangement, superior accuracy in the grindings of v the edges is not required, nor anything of the degree of skill involved in accurately grinding two parallel offset edges as is required in the grinding of the type of plates in Patent No. 1,625,352 mentioned. It will be recognized that a superior degree of accuracy, quicker operation and a simplification of resetting, and remounting of the cleaning plates in the brackets is provided for by me by constructing the cleaning plates 25, 25 with the straight operating edges interrupted only by the semi-circular openings 3i, 3%. The shims for maintaining the separation of the operating edges 3!, 552 are provided before hand, so that a selection of a shim of proper thickness may be made as soon as the grinding operation is finished and the amount of reduction of the edges determined. It will be observed that the plates 25, 2e are reversible as setforth in Figures 11 and 12. A superior locking of the cleaning plates in the brackets is provided by the described arrangement, since there is no tendency for the plates to rock relative to each other in a horizontal plane, as their rear squared edges engage squarely correspondingly formed surfaces in the slot 9. The amount of time, expense and labor involved in applying and removing the plates 25, 26 to their brackets, and for the maintenance and condi tioning of and readjustment thereof, is much less than is required in the cases of the types of cleaning plates mentioned;

As shown in Figures 9 and 10 one type of shim 33 involves a vertical member 39 having a chisel lower edge ll] for inserting between the cleaning plates and a horizontal arm portion 4! on its upper end terminating in an angularly depressed finger piece 12 which enables inserting and removing the shim from the bracket without requiring placing the hands into close proximity to the thread or other parts of the device so as to interfere with the arrangement or operation thereof. The other form of shim 34 involves the upright portion 39a with the chisel lower edge 40a, but instead of the horizontal arm portion 4| the shim 34 has a disk head 43. The shims may be appropriately numbered as indicated corresponding to their thickness so that they may be readily selected for use with a pair of ground cleaning plates, after a grinding operation.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 13 to 16, inclusive, the bracket is generally designated Ba and it is shown applied to what is generally known in the art as a washboard, the washboard being generally designated 44 and involving a conventional structure. The bracket to is mounted on the upper end of the washboard structure it, the thread 45 passing through the washboard and then through the bracket 6a.

The bracket to comprises the block portion 8a corresponding in formation to the block 8 of the above described embodiment of the invention and it contains in the same manner a pair of cleaning plates 25a, 26a of the form already described. The block 8a has rising from its rearward edge at one side, the right side shown in the drawings, a fan-shaped plate 46 which has an opening 437 to receive one of the thread guide mountings already described and shown in Figures 22, 23, 24 and shown applied in Figure 3.

A horizontal extension 48 from the left side of the plate, provided with a countersunk screw receiving opening 49 is provided for connecting the bracket to the upper end of the washboard as. The portion '58 is of less than usual width, the notch 59 being in the outer edge thereof rather than in an intermediate portion of the width thereof. The shim 33a like the shim 33 is positioned in relation to the bracket and the cleaning plates 25a, 26a as shown in Figure 13. The thread 55 is led upwardly between the cleaning plates 25a, 26a and through the thread guide 5i.- The set screw opening 36a. corresponds to the set screw opening 35 in the block 8 and the horizontal slot 911. and the vertical slots Mia, Ha also appear, as well as the circular depression Ma. 'The portion 48a is L-shaped in cross section as shown in Figure 14, one part thereof forming an extension of the left hand side of the slot 90..

In Figures 17 to 21 is illustrated another form of the invention for applicationparticularly to a skein winding mechanism.

The bracket generally designated 6?) is supported from one side and has a position under a traverse bar 52. The numeral 53 generally designates a swift upon which the skein of thread as is wound, the thread being fed from said swift over the conventional traverse bar 52 which rec'iprocates in front of a plurality of bobbins, one of which is generally designated 55 and is driven by means of the Wheel 55 rotatably mounted on a common driving shaft 51. The form of bracket now being described is so constructed that it can be supported by the traverse bar 52 in such a way as to be movable therewith as the thread is being Wound back and forth upon the bobbin 55. Further, it is to be noted that the bracket to is supported from the front side of the traverse bar 52 and extends diagonally downwardly therefrom. This arrangement is providedin order to dispose the Weight of a plurality of brackets 61) as nearly as possible in a direct line below said bar in order to avoid tilting of the bar which might otherwise occur and which would result in defective operation of the bar. The arrangement of the bracket shown also permits. the thread. to pass between the cleaner plates at the proper angle to produce the most efiicient operation of cleaning of the thread. While the prevention of the tilting of the traverse bar is attempted to be provided in Patent No. 1,687,546 hereinbefore mentioned, it has been found that it is not successful. My bracket 6b has a heavily weighted portion 58 located directly under the traverse bar which overcomes the tendency of the traverse bar to tilt by the weight and displacement of the brackets during the operation of the machine. In this form of the invention the block 8, now 81), again appears with the same form of cleaning plates 25b, 26b and the shim 33b. The vertical rectangular attaching member 59 is generally rectangular in form and is provided with an elongated horizontal slot 69 to receive suitable means for connecting it to the forward face of the traverse bar 52 in such manner that the bracket may be adjusted longitudinally on the bar 52. Extending rearwardly from the attaching member 59 and from the block 8b is the segmental weight member 58 which is provided of a mass to properly counter-balance the throw produced by the reciprocation of the traverse bar upon the balance of the bracket, so as to overcome the throwing of the traverse bar by the bracket as it is reciprocated. The block 8b is located diagonally upwardly on the front of the weight portion 58 and just below the attaching member 59 and its lower side meets the lower extremity of the weight portion 58. Projecting at right angles diagonally downwardly and forwardly from the rear end of the block portion 8b is the thread guide support 6| which is in the form of a tapered plate, whose plan is clearly shown in Figure 18. The lower end of the thread guide support 6| is provided with an opening 62 to receive one of the thread guide mountings shown in Figures 22, 23, 24 and generally designated l9, and in the present embodiment I912, to support a lower thread guide 18b of the type already described herein. Figure 19 shows that the Weight portion 58 has a semi-circular top plan.

It will be observed that very small and inconsequential changes will be required to adapt any of the brackets herein disclosed for mounting them on different types of traverse bars, such as wooden or steel, square or round or other form of bars.

It is to be particularly observed that while certain types of reversible and interchangeable cleaning plates in the prior art, including those in the patents mentioned herein, are capable of only a limited number of spacings because of their construction, in the present invention the spacing of the cleaning plates is limited only by the width of the slot 9, 9a, 9b and the width or thickness of the shims 33, 34, 33a, 34a, and 33b, 341).

Although I have shown and described herein preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in material and structure and arrangement of parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bracket comprising a block having a recess, a pair of cleaning plates in the recess and formed with opposed cleaning edges normally in spaced relation, said bracket further comprising a plate to an intermediate portion of which the block is connected, means on the plate for securing the same to a traverse bar, a thread guide on the plate, eccentrically adjustable mounting means for the thread guides for aligning said thread guide and the space between the cleaning plates, said mounting means being rotatably supported in an opening in said plate.

2. In a bracket including a block having a recess, a pair of cleaning plates in the recess and 10 formed with opposed cleaning edges in spaced relation, said bracket further comprising a vertical plate for engaging the forward face of a traverse bar, a downwardly and forwardly extending depending plate on which is carried a thread guide, a weight portion on the back of the bracket and extending rearwardly under and engaged with the bottom of the traverse bar for balancing the traverse bar as it reciprocates, and eccentric means located in an opening in said depending plate and carrying said thread guide.

3. The combination with a tensioning device of a bracket comprising a block having a recess, a pair of cleaning plates in the recess and formed with opposed cleaning edges in spaced relation, said bracket further comprising a horizontal portion for mounting on the upper end of the tensioning device and a vertical thread guide carrying portion, and a thread guide having an eccentric mounting carried by said vertical portion.

4. In a bracket including a pair of cleaning plates between which the thread is arranged to be drawn, a thread guide located at one side of the plates for guiding the thread with respect to the plates, eccentric means mounting said guide to the bracket and adjustable to center the thread with respect to the plates, said eccentric means comprising a threaded member carrying said guide, a barrel having an eccentric threaded bore in which said member is threaded, said barrel being journaled in an opening in said bracket, a stop flange on the barrel for engaging one side of a portion of said bracket, and a clamping nut on said threaded member for engaging the opposite side of said portion of the bracket for clamping said threaded member and said barrel in adjusted relation.

5. A thread cleaner comprising a bracket having a part formed with a laterally extending socket opening through the side thereof, a pair of cleaning plates located in said socket, a shim located between and spacing the opposed. edges of said plates, a screw traversing said part at substantially right angles to the plane of said plates and entering one side of said recess, said screw having a tapered portion engaging the outer edge of one of the plates, said tapered part acting as a cam pushing the plates toward the opposite side of the recess and clamping said shim between said opposed edges.

6. A thread cleaner comprising a bracket having a part formed with a laterally extending socket opening through the side thereof, a pair of cleaning plates located in said socket, a shim located between and spacing the opposed edges of said plates, a screw traversing said part at substantially right angles to the plane of said plates and entering one side of said recess, said screw having a tapered portion engaging the outer edge of one of the plates, said tapered part acting as a cam pushing the plates toward the opposite side of the recess and clamping said shim between said opposed edges, said socket being of a cross section to closely receive said plates with said shim therebetween, the inner end of said socket being formed to be engaged by the inner ends of said plates whereby the plates are maintained in correct angular relation.

'7. A thread cleaner comprising a bracket containing a laterally extending slot enclosing a pair of spaced cleaning plates, a thread guide extending substantially parallel to one side of said plates, a rotatable member journaled in said bracket and having an eccentric bore through which a part of said thread guide extends, said member being rotatable to adjust said thread guide into alinement with the space between said cleaning plates.

8. A thread cleaner comprising a bracket containing a laterally extending slot enclosing a pair of spaced cleaningplates, a thread guide extending substantially parallel to one side of said plates, a rotatable member journaled in said bracket and having an eccentric bore through which a part of said thread guide extends, said member being rotatable to adjust said thread guide into alinement with the space between said cleaning plates, said thread guide being longitudinally adjustable in said bore of the rotatable member so as to adjust said thread guide lengthwise of the said cleaning plates.

PETER DAUGERT. 

